MLB Player News

Gibaut (forearm) hopes to begin throwing off a mound Sunday or Monday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Gibaut said Friday that he feels "a night and day difference" in his right forearm as he recovers from a pronator strain. The reliever still doesn't have a timeline for his return and Opening Day remains very much in question, but he looks to be trending in the right direction.

Lopez struck out four and walked one over three scoreless, no-hit innings during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.

He didn't enter the game until the fifth inning, but Lopez still got to face a number of Boston regulars and counted Rafael Devers and Masataka Yoshida among his strikeout victims. The 30-year-old still appears to be in the lead for Atlanta's fifth starter job thanks to his 1.13 ERA and 7:2 K:BB through eight spring innings, but Bryce Elder got the start Thursday and also pitched well, fanning six batters in 3.1 frames. Given that Elder made 31 starts last season and Lopez hasn't thrown more than 66 innings in a season since 2021, this competition could come down to the wire.

Atlanta reassigned Giles to minor-league camp Friday.

Giles was in camp as a non-roster invitee and allowed one run on one hit with five strikeouts and three walks in three innings across his three Grapefruit League appearances. The veteran right-hander has just nine big-league appearances since 2019 but has a strong track record and could receive a look later on with Atlanta if he can stay healthy.

Uribe tossed a scoreless inning of relief in Thursday's Cactus League contest against the White Sox.

Uribe was tagged for two earned runs in his spring debut, but he has since thrown three scoreless frames over three appearances, allowing two runners to reach base over that span. After a sterling rookie season in which he struck out 39 batters over 30.2 innings and posted a 1.76 ERA and 1.17 WHIP, he is on track to open the regular season with a high-leverage role in Milwaukee's bullpen.

Atlanta optioned Kerr to Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday.

The 29-year-old was acquired from San Diego for Matt Carpenter and cash in December but won't make Atlanta's Opening Day roster. Kerr had a 4.33 ERA in 22 relief outings for the Padres last season, and he allowed three runs with an 8:1 K:BB over 4.2 innings during Grapefruit League play this spring.

The Giants signed Garza to a minor-league deal Thursday, which includes an invitation to spring training, Ari Alexander of KPRC2 reports.

Garza has thrown 47 innings in the majors throughout his career, though he's managed only a 5.74 ERA in that span. He's likely to serve as organizational depth and could contribute sparingly out of the big-league bullpen.

Middleton left the Cardinals' camp Thursday to watch his brother play in Oregon's state basketball tournament, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Middleton has served as a part-time coach for his brother's team and arranged for his absence when he signed with the Cardinals in the offseason. He is expected to return to camp Sunday. The 30-year-old reliever has thrown two scoreless innings this spring with one strikeout and is in line to serve in middle relief for the Cardinals in 2024.

Burr was removed from Thursday's appearance versus the Rays with tightness in the back of his right shoulder, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Burr induced a groundout and a strikeout but then allowed a single to the third batter he faced before being lifted. The right-handed reliever will likely have tests done on the shoulder. Burr is in camp with the Phillies as a non-roster invitee.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that Kilian will be sidelined until around the All-Star break after an MRI revealed a teres major strain in his right shoulder, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Counsell noted that it's the type of injury which can have varying timelines, but Kilian isn't expected to be pitching anytime soon. The loss of Kilian is a hit to the team's starting pitching depth, as he was likely slated to open the season in the Triple-A Iowa rotation.

The Diamondbacks reassigned Hughes to minor-league camp Thursday.

Hughes finished the 2023 season on the Cubs' 60-day injured list while he recovered from left knee surgery, but since he was making minor-league rehab appearances in September, he seemingly entered the offseason with a clean bill of health. After the Cubs non-tendered him in November, Hughes caught on with the Diamondbacks on a minor-league deal in free agency and turned in a 2.45 ERA while striking out five over 3.2 innings through his four Cactus League appearances. Though Hughes' solid spring wasn't enough to help him secure a spot in Arizona's Opening Day bullpen, he could be in the mix for a promotion to the big club if he continues to excel at Triple-A Reno early in the season.